Clamp



Patented Sept. 23, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Frances M. Grosz, Chicago, Ill.

Application June 17, 1939, Serial No. 279,673

2 Claims. ,(Cl. 17-11) My invention relates to cooking, and includes among its objects and advantages the provision of an improved clamp for holding articles to be cooked, in shape during cooking. It is especially useful in connection with stuffed fowls and other meat dishes such as rolled roasts, where the condition oi the article itself is not such that it will retain its shape during cooking without the assistance f such a device.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a peispective view of an illustrative device according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view;

Figure 3 is a section along 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan view from above; and

Figure 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Figure 4.

In the embodiment of the invention selected for illustration in Figures 1, 2, and 3, the clamp comprises an overlying arm I0 and an underlying arm I2 pivoted at one end as by means of a rivet I4. The underlying arm is stiftened by a narrow turned-down flange I6 throughout its length. From the flange I6 a plurality (in this instance four) of teeth I8 project downwardly and then diagonally inward. Each tooth comprises a slightly bulged body portion 28 and a sharp point 22. Between the teeth I8 the ange I6 is preferably bulged down slightly as at 24. The over lying arm I8 is provided with a ange 2E which is a duplicate of the ange I6 except that it is oiiset upwardly with respect thereto by the thickness of the metal forming the arm I2. And the arm I0 also carries teeth 28 (in this instance 4) which are identical with the teeth I8 except that they are longer than the teeth I8 to the extent of the thickness of the metal in the arm I2 so that their lower ends are level with the lower ends of the teeth I8. When the clamp is closed, the teeth on the two arms are offset or staggered with respect to each other.

To hold the clamp in closed position I provide an opening at 38 in the underlying arm and a downwardly turned lug 32 carried by the overlying arm. I prefer to make the parts of slightly resilient material such as stainless steel in which case the resilience of the arms themselves between their connection at the rivet I4 and their free ends is sucient to permit the user to slide the lug 32 over the imperfor-ate portion of the arm I2 and into the opening 30.

Such clamps can be used to close the opening in the body of a stuffed chicken or turkey and retain the stuing, in lieu of the tedious procedure common in the prior art 0f sewing the parts together. With the arms approximately in the position of Figure 2, or separated a little bit wider apart, depending on the size of the fowl, the clamp is pressed against the body of the fowl so that the teeth embed themselves in the flaps of flesh on either side of the opening and then the arms are pressed together into the position of Figure 1, closing the opening. After the fowl is cooked, the housewife can set the tip of a paring knife or any other similar tool against the end edges of the arms and easily pry them apart to let the lug 32` slip out of the hole and across the imperforate portion of the arm I2. This releases the clamp so that it can readily be lifted away from the cooked fowl. To guide the user in doing this, the end edge of the arm I2 is beveled, as at 3|, while the adjacent end edge 0f the arm Il) is left rounded, as at 33.

The use of such a clamp is not limited to the cooking of stuffed fowls. It is available and particularly useful inconnection with rolled roasts or other composite meat dishes where different portions of meat need to be held in place during the cooking process. In connection with fowl, I have found that substantially the entire range of sizes can well be taken care of by making such clamps in one size measuring 41/2 inches over all, and in another size measuring 3 inches. In either instance the teeth are of substantially the relay Y tive proportions indicated on the drawing, and are about 1/8" wide at the base and about 3% wide at the widest portion of the bulging body 20.

The arcuate portions 24 press gently downward on the skin betweenrthe teeth and tend to compress the flesh laterally a little against the teeth, thus materially reducing any tendency of the flesh or skin t0 tear.

Without further elaboration the foregoing will so fully explain my invention that others may,

by applying knowledge current at the time of application, readily adapt', the same for use under various conditions of service.

I claim: s

1. A flesh clamp adapted to close the vent opening of a stuffed fowl during cooking comprising, in combination: a pair of metal arms, substantially smooth and substantially devoid of slots or crevices difficult to clean; a rivet pivot 1 connecting one end of one arm to one end of the other, whereby saidv arms are guided in a scissorlike movement suitable for drawing together the flaps of flesh on either side of a V-shaped opening; each arm having teeth along an edge remote from the other` arm; said teeth extending down from said arms in general parallelism with said pivot throughout a material portion of their length whereby, when said arms are superposed by closing them, a space remains between said teeth for housing the edge portions of aps of esh; said teeth, beyond said first mentioned portion, curving toward each other and extending diagonally downwardly and inwardly at an angle of approximately 45 degrees, whereby said diagonal inclined portions, when the arms are opened, tend to embed the teeth in the flesh to be 10 clamped, and, when the arms are closed, partially enclose the extreme edges of the flaps of :llesh and thus prevent separation of the clamp from the flesh; and fastening means for holding the arms in closed position.

2. A flesh clamp adapted to close the vent opening of a stuied fowl during cookingv comprising,

15 of flaps of flesh.

in combination: a pair of arms, substantially smooth and substantially devoid of slots or crevices diiiicult to clean; and a pivot connecting one end of one arm to one end of the other, whereby said arms are guided in a scissorlike movement suitable for drawing together the flaps of flesh on either side of a V-shaped opening; each arm having teeth along an edge remote from the other arm; said teeth extending down from said arms in general parallelism with said pvot throughout a material portion of their length, whereby, when said arms are superposed by closing them, a space remains between said teeth but not between said arms for housing the edge portions PAUL BECK. 

